Book Review: Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

From the author of the bestselling Wicked Lovely series comes a new teen paranormal series about a forbidden romance that bridges two different worlds. Kidzworld has the book review of Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr.

Carnival of Souls by Melissa MarrCourtesy of HarperTeen

Wicked Lovely seriesCourtesy of HarperTeen

Fight to the Death

In a city inhabited by daimons, danger lurks at every corner. Once every generation, each citizen is awarded the opportunity to fight in a deadly competition for a chance to join the ruling class. Kaleb, a lowly Cur, sees the competition as his only chance for a better future. Meanwhile, Aya - the only female in the competition - will do anything not to have to breed, even if it means murdering her betrothed. Joining the ruling class will be her only escape from the laws that demand she bare a child. At least that’s what she thinks.

Sheltered

Meanwhile, Mallory lives in the human world, protected by her stepfather. He is a Witch and has spent Mallory’s entire life moving her from one home to the next, hoping to keep her hidden from any daimons who might want to cause her harm. Protected by her stepfather’s spells, Mallory knows nothing of who she really is and what sort of future lies ahead of her. All she knows is that she’s falling for a boy named Kaleb, who seems innocent enough. She has no idea that Kaleb is hiding a secret that would undoubtedly drive them apart.

The Bottom Line

Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr pales in comparison to other teen paranormal romance books. It offers some good fight scenes but doesn’t have the most believable character development. Because of the way it’s written, there’s no shocking twist at the end, nor is there really an end. Just when you think the climax is about to start, you reach the last page and feel somewhat unsatisfied. Melissa Marr had a good concept, but didn’t execute it as well as she could have.

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